Panesar gives England hope in cricket Test

MANCHESTER : Monty Panesar bowled England back into the second Test against New Zealand here Sunday with a five-wicket burst that also saw the left-arm spinner take his 100th wicket at this level.

New Zealand, at tea on the third day, were 99 for six in their second innings - a lead of 278.

That meant England already had to surpass the Old Trafford Test record for a winning fourth innings total of 231 for three they made here four years ago against the West Indies in order to go 1-0 up in this series.

But the 26-year-old Panesar gave England hope with a return of five for 31 in 12 overs - the third time in his three Old Trafford Tests he'd taken five or more wickets in an innings and the eighth occasion in his 28-Test career.

His haul, which featured two wickets in four balls, included dangermen Brendon McCullum, lbw for nought, and Ross Taylor, who made a career-best 154 not out in the first innings, lbw for 15.

Rival left-arm spinner and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who earlier Sunday had taken five for 66 - his second straight five-wicket haul following his five for 69 in the drawn first Test at Lord's - was another Panesar victim.

Kyle Mills, who made a Test-best 57 in the first innings, was four not out and all-rounder Jacob Oram, who didn't field Sunday after injuring his right shoulder during the warm-up, unbeaten on two.

New Zealand had effectively been reduced to 10 batsmen with Daniel Flynn, hit on the head by a James Anderson bouncer on Friday, not expected to bat again in this match.

The Black Caps were reduced to 50 for two after Aaron Redmond was caught in the gully by Paul Collingwood off James Anderson and Panesar had Jamie How, the other opener, lbw for 29.

Panesar's vigorous appealing, even when the umpire had said 'not out', threatened to land him in trouble with officialdom.

But there was no doubt at all when James Marshall, going right back on his stumps and hitting across the line in ugly fashion, was plumb lbw to the Northamptonshire slow bowler.

The hard-hitting McCullum, who made a run-a-ball 97 in the first innings at Lord's, had the ability to take the game away from England.

However, he lasted just three balls before he too was lbw to Panesar after missing a sweep shot.

Vettori holed out cheaply to Stuart Broad in the deep before Taylor, with Panesar pitching on the stumps, became the England spinner's fourth lbw victim of the innings.

England had showed precious little resistance in losing their last six wickets for 42 runs on Sunday in a collapse that took fewer than 18 overs.

They only narrowly avoided the follow-on and that was thanks mainly to No9 Broad, last man out for a well-made 30.

This was the 11th straight match since the fourth Test against the West Indies at the Riverside in June last year that England had failed to reach the first innings benchmark total of 400.